In spring 2023, Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) will be added to its lengthy list of high-profile crossovers with Mojang Studios’ Minecraft. Mojang Studios and Wizards of the Coast have announced the new D&D DLC pack for Minecraft, which will allow gamers to explore famous places such as Candlekeep and Icewind Dale while choosing one of four classic tabletop franchise classes: Paladin, Barbarian, Wizard, or Rogue.
Here is what Minecraft players can expect from this upcoming DLC pack:
Pick Your Class: Players can select from four different categories that need no introduction among D&D aficionados. Those classes are Paladins, Barbarians, Wizards, and Rogues. As expected from each category, these classes come with their own unique abilities and complexity levels.
A D&D Story-driven Narrative: While it’s still a Minecraft game underneath it all, this latest expansion features storytelling inspired by the traditional fantasy elements you would expect from D&D. Before venturing out into a virtual fantasy world that riffs on classic Forgotten Realms locations such as Candlekeep and Icewind Dale, players start in a Dungeon Master’s basement setting.
Full Voice Acting: It is expected that the D&D/Minecraft expansion will feature full voice acting to add depth to each character’s adventure.
Co-op Option: Gamers can play alone in this campaign-style narrative or team up with pals in co-operative multiplayer mode to experience it together as an adventuring party. The campaign covers almost every facet of traditional Dungeon & Dragons gameplay while being played entirely within Minecraft’s blocky world.
Authentic Skill Checks Mechanism: To stay true to its RPG roots and provide a more realistic experience while playing the game, Mojang has included rolling 20-sided dice functionality for skill checks along with certain combat mechanics. Each class has its default attacks alongside its distinct abilities that come with recovery time.
In-game D&D Manual: The DLC pack also includes a guidebook, which has an in-game D&D manual that covers all the necessary (and even non-essential) mechanics of D&D gameplay. The guidebook will include necessary skill sets for in-game character building to ensure that players are up to date on what they need to do to advance their characters.
Nods to Lore References: For those already invested in the traditional D&D gaming world, Minecraft developers wanted to keep the game experience familiar and engaging by adding fun references related explicitly to the D&D universe. Longtime players can expect lots of references, mostly for easter egg purposes and pure enjoyment.
“We’re incredibly excited to partner with Wizards of the Coast, to introduce a brand new, story-driven Dungeons & Dragons DLC to Minecraft! We can’t wait for the community to dive in and experience a blocky take on the world of D&D,” says Senior Producer at Mojang Studios, Riccardo Lenzi as he hinted at the excitement surrounding this upcoming DLC release.
Minecraft is a decade-old digital sandbox game where players can build anything from scratch using basic materials like grass blocks and dirt cubes. Minecraft’s legendary appeal continues today across various platforms such as PlayStation 4/5, Nintendo Switch/Xbox Series X/S, Google Andriod-based devices, and iOS smartphones/tablets too. Although an exact price point has not been announced yet, it’s likely going to be worth every penny for longtime fans of either franchise who are ready for an epic crossover experience.
With so much waiting time ahead until next spring 2023 arrives when this highly anticipated D&D/Minecraft expansion finally hits shelves everywhere, there is no better way than spending some extra hours navigating through previous patches or other crossovers edition showcased by Minecraft major updates frequently getting released around weekends covering multiple events throughout each year that anyone can also get their hands on while waiting.
